Press House Organizes a Meeting about Electricity Crisis in Gaza

Gaza- Tues Dec 17, 2013 --- Press House – Palestine organized a meeting to discuss the electricity crisis in Gaza Strip, with the presence of a group of journalists.

Press House hosted Eng. Waleed  Saiel, the executive manager of the electricity company in Abu Dhabi using Skype technology, and from Gaza Eng. Fathi El-Sheikh Khalil, the vice president of the electricity authority and Dr. Rafik Maliha, the general director of electricity station in Gaza.

The head of Press House, Mr. Belal Jadallah welcomed Eng. Waleed and thanked him for attending the meeting to discuss a critical issue that concerns Gaza’s citizens.

Eng. Saiel talked extensively about the establishment of the electricity company, and the agreements signed up to operate the station and generate electricity for Gaza Strip.

“We’re taking a crisis management approach in managing the station since its establishment, which fluctuates according to the political conditions in the Palestinian territories,” He said.

He also added: “The two parties of division are evading from the responsibility toward the electricity crisis, and throwing it into our shoulders; as we’re the weaker party.”

He indicated that the debts of the electricity authority have reached 42 million U.S Dollars in one year and three months.

Eng. Saiel ensured that improving collection mechanisms, wiring all of grid lines carrying electricity, and parties’ commitment to their responsibilities is the only exit from electricity problem.

He ended his speech stressing his rejection to any unjust agreement that causes damage to Palestinian citizens, and ensuring that he’ll keep exerting efforts to solve this problem to alleviate the burden on the Palestinian citizen.

Then, the door was open for journalists to ask and discuss questions, where most of the attendance participated in the discussion and recommended further similar meetings to take place in the future.

In the other side, Eng. Fathi El-Sheikh Khalil said: “I don’t blame the electricity station for the electricity crisis in Gaza as much I blame the parties causing this crisis.”

He also added: “There’s no dispute between the authority of energy in Gaza and Ramallah,” Indicating that the one who pushes the station to work under these conditions is the one who is causing the crisis.
He pointed out that the money granted form Qatar to operate the station covers its requirements for only half a month, and if they stopped paying, the station will automatically stop.

Eng. Fathi stressed that the current conditions under which the station is operating are “compelling” and the agreements reached are useless to citizens.

He also talked about the negotiations taking place since four months with the prime minister in West Bank Rami Elhamdallah; to buy the fuel for the station from Israel.

Although the connections were suddenly cut, he expects an agreement to be signed to buy 100 megawatts for Gaza from Israel to partially solve the problem of electricity cut.

He pointed out that the project of eight countries’ common electricity line has stopped as a result of the political changes in Egypt.